Jentezen Franklin - 2 Secrets To Being Happy
Open your Bibles with me to the Book of Ecclesiastes 3, Ecclesiastes 3. It's so important that you hear what I share. Today, I'm going to preach on two secrets, "The Two Secrets to Being Happy". Even when you're in overwhelming situations. Anybody can be happy when everything's right. But we're not called to reflect the times that we're living in. We are the people of God.
And in Ecclesiastes 3, it's this amazing, famous verse. Time is what God allows so everything doesn't happen to us all at once, and that's why the scripture said to everything, there's a time and there's a season. A time to be born, a time to die. A time to pluck, a time to plant. And it goes on and on, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to break down, a time to build up, a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to dance, a time to mourn. A time to cast away together, a time to refrain, a time to embrace. A time to gain, a time to lose. A time to throw away, a time to tear, a time to sow, a time to silence, a time to speak, a time to love. It's like the pendulum is swinging back-and-forth, high and low, laughter, mourning, joy, brokenness, and it's just, this is life.
This is the world that we live in. And it's always this, it's never going to be perfect situations, if you're over here, you're gonna swing over here, and if you're over here, hold on, baby, you're gonna swing back over here. God won't leave you over there forever. I promise you, He won't leave you over there. Hallelujah. But then, verse 11 said: "He makes everything," both sides, "He makes everything beautiful in its time". And then, verse 12, now, you got all kinds of chaos going on in life. But He said, "I know there's something that I know. There's something that I know. There's no question," there's a lot confusion and a lot of going back-and-forth, but He said, "This is what I know, that nothing is better for them to rejoice and do good in their lives".
It is also every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all the labor, it is the gift of God, Verse 12, listen to it. There's nothing better for them. Sometimes, we complicate the Christian life, sometimes, we just add on this and that, and this and that. But here it is, He said, if you want the secret to living a happy life, the best life you can live, while everything is going back-and-forth, and up-and-down days, He said, "Here's what you are to do, if you believe in God, is you are to rejoice and do good". Rejoice, and do good. It's a lot going on in this world, a lot going on in this nation. Very complicated, signs of the times. Men's hearts failing them for fear.
In my new book, I talk about being overwhelmed, and how that the feeling of being overwhelmed has hit almost every family, every person that I talk to. That we can still be overcomers, even though we feel overwhelmed at times. We're called to be overcomers, even when we're overwhelmed. Even when it's hitting from every direction. It's not complicated to God what's going on in our world. God is not biting His fingernails, God is not out of control, God is still in control. God said, "I will have My church in My Kingdom, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it". So relax, you're not the defender of the whole world. You're not a Marvel character, come on.
I tell you one thing, the main thing in God's agenda is He's going to have Him a people and He's going to have Him a church and that's why the Bible said in 2 Corinthians that we are to beware, Paul said, "I fear, lest that by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, that you, with his craftiness, so that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ". I'm telling you, that little phrase right there came up in my soul. If you'll put the word of God in you, when you need it, the Lord will use it, and I heard the Lord say, "Get back to the simplicity of having and knowing Jesus Christ, and you won't go around negative, and you won't go around having headline hysteria, and you will not go around, being all upset, and ticked-off, and mad at everybody, and even come to church with a chip on your shoulder".
The simplicity of Christ means I know I am saved. I know I'm going to heaven. I know I have a home in another world where there is no sorrow, pain. I believe this to my core. And so, when you feel overwhelmed, get back to the simplicity. Don't let the enemy with craftiness get in your minds, and corrupt you from the simplicity of the joy of walking and talking and worshiping and praising and working and shining light and reaching people and loving people for Jesus Christ. The simplicity of Christ can bring joy to you, even if there's tragedy going on in your life. The simplicity of God loves me, Jesus died for me, rose, conquered the grave, conquered death, what can you do to me, sting of death? What can you do to me, burial place? Not one thing, I'll be alive, because I have eternal life in Jesus Christ, and my sins are gone. Hallelujah.
I need somebody to rejoice just a minute. Rejoice in a world of sorrow, in a world that's confused, in a world of controversy, schisms, and shisms all this stuff stirring around us, God says, "Let's make it real simple. I need you to do two things. Rejoice, and do good". That's it. 'Cause I'm gonna have Me a people who are gonna do those two things. Micah 6:8 gives three things, He just takes a complicated thing and says, "What is it that God requires"? What does He want from me? What does He want, He says, "I'm gonna give you the three things that God wants from you". He said, this is what it is, 'cause he says in the previous verses, if you want 1,000 sacrifices, I'll send you, I'll bring 1,000 lambs.
If You want me to offer You my firstborn in service to the Kingdom, I'll bring 'em and leave 'em and walk away from them. God, what do You want? And He said, "I'm gonna tell you what I want". Said, "I want you," this is what the Lord requires, "Number one, I want you to do justly. Number two, I want you to love mercy. And number three, I want you to walk humbly before your God". Do justly means do good. I want you to do good. I want you to love mercy. That means you do good in the eyes of God, and then you love mercy, that means you extend it to your fellow man. You don't become someone judgmental and mean and ugly. And because people don't see like you see, but He said, "I need you to do good, do justly," just is good, do good, before God, and to love mercy. You just love, I'm gonna show 'em mercy again. show 'em mercy again, show 'em mercy again.
And then, the last one's important, 'cause you get to thinking you're really, I need... and walk humbly. Isn't that a big one? Walk humbly with your God. Do justly, do good. Love mercy, just keep dishing it out. Just keep forgiving people. Just keep loving people. Just keep pouring into people. Just keep being sweet, even when they're ugly. Just keep on, just show 'em mercy, and then walk humbly. God, help us, that's it. That's what He requires, He says, "You can keep your 1,000 sheep, I don't want 'em, they're messy. I want this outta you. Do good. Love mercy. Walk humbly".
Don't forget where I brought you from, don't forget. You're so ugly to people who don't know Jesus, but you were just like them, and you still are in a lot of ways, that's why you have to have a little bit of humility in your Christianity, that you don't ever get sitting up on a horse, or up on a high seat, looking down on everybody, but you have to walk humbly because you remember, if it were not for the Lord on my side, where would I be? It's so crazy that the King of Kings says, "I'm going to have Me a people, and they're going to love Me, no matter how overwhelming the times become. And all I want outta them is to rejoice, and to do good".
What does that mean? He's saying there's a time to fight and there's a time to weep, there's a time to mourn, and all of this is so important. There is a time to fight. There is a time to stand up, there is a time to mourn, there is a time, this is crazy, it said there's a time to hate, well, what do we hate? We hate sin, we don't ever hate people, but we hate sin, and there ought to be a righteous indignation that says, I hate evil. I hate what it does to children. I hate children being abused. I hate seeing what hell does. I hate divorce, God hates it, I hate it. Not the people, but the divorce what it does, and we have to get, we think that serving God, we're supposed to just get along and just ignore... no. We're supposed, but then He says let the pendulum swing back, there's a time to love, there's a time to hate, there's a time to love.
And somewhere, you gotta find that, and I guess what I'm trying to say is the Lord says, it's time to come up for air. Because in America, we got this, we got that. Every day, every week, it's something new, and if you're gonna be on pins and needles, and into it and, you're gonna have high blood pressure, your arteries are getting cholesterol, and you're not even on the cabinet with the president, you ain't, you're just sitting there, telling 'em off in front of your TV. How do I know that? 'Cause that's what I've been doing. And the Lord said, "What's wrong with you? Come up for air". Our job is to rejoice and do good, and love people, and love God, and reach for those who are lost.
Acts 9:36. There's a woman by the name of Dorcas. And the scripture said that this woman was full of good works and charitable deeds, which she did, and she got sick, and when she got sick, they sent for the Apostle Peter, and when he came, you know why they did that? Because she was doing so much good, the scripture said she would make throwovers and shawls, and what do they call 'em? Where's that at? Garments, and tunics, and she would make them, and hand them out, and she didn't do it with old, pickle-face, you know? "Here". But she had something about her, you ever gone in, like, a cookie store or something, and they just have fresh cookies, and it's just amazing, and the product is amazing, what they're offering you, but there's some old kill-joy behind the... that's kinda how the church is right now, you know, we got the greatest thing going, there ain't nothing better than the simplicity of Jesus Christ.
He loves you, it's good news, it's good news. He forgives you. He loves you. He won't ever let you go if you'll come and put your life in His hands. We've got that, but we're doing it with, and the Bible said that this woman died and they sent for the Apostle Peter, and they said, "She does so many good things that we can't afford to let her go". I'm paraphrasing that, and you know what? He went and raised her from the dead, and they were having her funeral, and the Bible said they were wearing the clothes that she sewed for 'em. She would sew little dolls for orphans. She was full of good works.
Listen to that. Rejoice, and do good. Full of good works. She said, I'm not a prophetess, I'm not a famous author. I'll never be on the front page of Charisma Magazine, I'll never be on Christianity Today, I'll never be on this and that, but you know what? I'm a good fashion designer here, and I think it wasn't just the fact that she handed those little children dolls or she handed those people, those women that she made little shawls and coverings for, and quilts and things, but I think it was the spirit that she did it in that was so precious, because she was rejoicing and she was doing good. He said in Ephesians 2:10, says: "We are His workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus, for good works".
Listen to this powerful scripture. 1 Timothy 6:17. "Charge them that are rich," and I know all of you just relax, because you said, "Well, there's one thing," this one is not for me. Compared to the people in Haiti. And most of the world, quite frankly, the greatest, you just need to go travel some, you would be astounded. You don't know what poverty is. And He said, "Charge them that are rich in this world, they don't get high-minded, 'I'm better than everybody, look at me.'" "And not trust in uncertain riches, but in the Living God," I love this part: "who gives us richly all things to enjoy".
He doesn't put condemnation and shame, you got a beautiful car, got a beautiful house, you got it all, you got two or three of 'em, I don't care, God doesn't care. He says, I give it to you richly, all things to enjoy, but then watch this. "You charge them that they do good". Listen to this word. "That they be rich in good works". That if to whom much is committed, much is required, so the more God commits to you, the more He says, "Be rich in good works". I don't care if you enjoy everything your wealth can buy, but be rich in good works. Ready to distribute, willing to communicate to rejoice, and give God the glory. Isn't that powerful?
Titus 2:7, he says: "Show yourself through a pattern of good works". The two secrets to being happy, rejoice and do good. If you wanna be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you wanna be happy for a day, if you're a golfer, go golfing. If you're a fisherman, go fishing. If you're a shopper, go shopping. Whatever it is that makes you happy for a day, if you wanna be happy for a year, inherit a fortune. And boy, you'll enjoy all that money and it'll last about a year. But if you want to be happy for a lifetime, the two secrets to a happy life, rejoice and do good. Let's rejoice just a minute, I'm almost done, but listen to me. Titus 2:14. I mean, He ties the whole crucifixion to this purpose. "Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity". It's not He's going to when I get to heaven, I'm redeemed right now.
That's why you ought to be rejoicing no matter what is going on in this world. He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity: "And purify unto Himself," we're supposed to be a peculiar people. We're not supposed to be caught up in the craziness of our nation and our world. And God, forgive me. Because the Holy Spirit is saying, I want you to be a peculiar people full of joy and cheerfulness, up, praising Me, with a spirit of rejoicing on you. That when the conversation goes negative, you go positive. When people get down, you're the one who picks 'em up, but then He says, "And be zealous for good works". If you're really born again, something in you says I need to help somebody.
Titus 3:8, this is a faithful saying. "I charge you and affirm that you, affirm it constantly, be careful to maintain good works". Don't start out and then just become someone who goes to church. But I want you to maintain a lifestyle of good works, of others. Others. Others. Others. Hebrews 10, "Let us provoke one another to love and to good works". Psalms 37. "Trust in the Lord and do good". Psalms 37:27. "Depart from evil and do good". Galatians 6:10. "As we have an opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially those of the household of faith". Rejoice, and do good. We're here to love people. We're here to rejoice, and do good, so let me close with this. We are to do all the good we can by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places that we can, to all the people that we can, as long as we can.